


Double Sundae

by rogue_1102



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Cop!Bardock, Diners, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Ice Cream, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26815633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogue_1102/pseuds/rogue_1102
Summary: While on duty, Bardock receives a call to go Raditz's school.This was not the first time the school had called in regards to his son; however, he’d only heard second-hand reports of what had occurred, and most of those incidents were hardly worth a trip down to the school. From his understanding, the boy had, thus far, been having an uneventful year, and his moments of misbehavior were now few and far between.“There was... an incident, Mr. Son.”
Relationships: Bardock & Raditz (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 33





	Double Sundae

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Starlight Beginnings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21164297) by [Lady_Red](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Red/pseuds/Lady_Red). 



> In celebration of 400+ follower on Twitter! TY to everyone who has supported me. This piece was inspired by some random back and forth I did with Lady_Red, and I enjoyed the premise too much to let it go.
> 
> TY to Lady_Red for the beta and for the permission to use.
> 
> S/O to Ruthlesscupcake, Lachanophobic, Areoian for the story encouragement and to all the Dungeoneers!
> 
> Art at the end by [zambomarti](https://twitter.com/zambomarti)

The recently waxed floor was shiny and slick beneath his boots, and the mostly empty halls caused his heavy footsteps to bounce and echo. Out of habit, he quickly took stock of his surroundings and noted the few people who passed him. Most smiled in his direction. The crisp, blue uniform he wore usually engendered deference or respect, but several looked at him askance as if wondering what he was doing here.

They were not the only ones. Ever since he’d gotten the call to come down here, he’d wondered. Whatever it may be, this situation was not one he was accustomed to handling; however, his wife was unavailable, so the duty fell squarely on his shoulders. After a few wrong turns, he finally found the appropriate room and walked in.

“Ah, you must be Raditz’s father.” A portly man with glasses said in greeting as he stood up and walked around his desk.

Bardock nodded, placed his hat beneath his arm, and shook the hand that was offered before glancing around the empty office. He kept his face neutral, another habit picked up on the job and sat in a nearby chair.

“Thank you for coming down so quickly. I promise this won’t take too much time.”

“Is something wrong?”

The welcoming look on the principal’s face faltered as soon as he heard the accented tones of his speech, and Bardock mentally braced himself in preparation for the all but assured condescension that would be inherent in their conversation.

This was not the first time the school had called in regards to his son; however, he’d only heard second-hand reports of what had occurred, and most of those incidents were hardly worth a trip down to the school. From his understanding, the boy had, thus far, been having an uneventful year, and his moments of misbehavior were now few and far between.

“There was... an incident, Mr. Son,” the principal said as he slowly retook his seat behind the massive desk and steepled his fingers in front of his ruddy face. Although his countenance showed nothing, inwardly, Bardock scoffed at the theatrics and placed his hat on his knee. Rather than provide the expected reaction of anger or outrage, he merely stared back, impassively, and waited for the man to continue.

“To put it bluntly, your son attacked another student.”

Immediately, Bardock’s eyes narrowed in outrage at the revelation. Beyond the inconvenience of losing pay that his family could not afford to be without by being called away from work to come down to the school, the reason for his presence made him tense, and he took in a deep breath in an effort to calm himself.

“Luckily, no one was hurt, and I’ve convinced the other boy’s parents not to press charges, but... we will have to suspend Raditz from school for the next week.”

Bardock clenched his jaw in irritation at the prospect but nodded as the principal prattled on about school work the boy was expected to complete and other such nonsense. Luckily, the boy knew how to be at home by himself, and Gine would make sure he didn’t screw around. One thing that did not escape his notice, however, was the fact that Raditz was not in the office. He stood and carried his hat under his arm as he was escorted out of the room and down the hall.

“Where is he?”

“He’s in the nurse’s office.”

The flippant and almost casual tone in the man’s voice caused Bardock to cut his eyes over in confusion. The principal clearly stated that no one was hurt, yet his son was in the nurse’s office. Those two statements did not agree with each other. As they arrived at the beveled door that read “Nurse”, the door open, and a set of parents with their child walked out. The young boy looked to be about Raditz’s age, and his pants were slightly torn, but the child looked no worse for wear save for a swollen lip.

The adults who accompanied the boy were well dressed, and well-off if their clothes were any indication. Once they spotted himself and the principal, a chorus of complaints came rushing towards them, including statements of “That boy is nothing more than a beast…” and “I hope that this officer is here to lock him up, where he belongs.”

Bardock listened patiently to their grievances and nodded in agreement at the appropriate places while the principal attempted to soothe their righteous fury. Occasionally, Bardock let his eyes cast down to the boy. The child looked rather pleased with himself; however, he quickly placed a façade of pain on his features whenever the other adults glanced down at him.

“I trust you have it from here, Mr. Son?” The stout man asked as he began to lead the group away from the nurse’s room. Bardock nodded and walked inside. His eyes immediately fell upon his son, who was sitting in a chair and looking resolutely away and down. Like the other youngster, the boy looked minorly mussed with dirt, and some light scratches on his skinny legs. Unlike the other boy, however, Raditz’s injuries had not been cleaned. The grim line on his face deepened and he looked questioningly at the nurse on duty, but she either did not feel the weight of displeasure in his gaze or did not care.

“Boy.”

At the sound of his voice, Raditz flinched but did not turn his head. Bardock took a few steps forward and pushed the boy’s face towards him with the tips of his fingers. Anger, immediate and pulsing, raced through his body as he stared at the angry and raw-looking bruise, mottled with red and bluish-black, that surrounded his son’s eye.

“Tell me what happened.” Despite the fury he felt on behalf of his son, Bardock knew he had to keep his feelings in check. Slowly, he sat down in the chair next to Raditz and waited for the boy to speak. He already heard one side of the story, and now it was time for the other. Raditz looked at him with uncertainty and opened his mouth to say something; however, he stopped when the nurse walked into the room and callously tossed the boy an antiseptic cloth.

“Wipe around your face with it. It’s going to hurt.” She declared dismissively and returned to her desk.

Bardock tore open the package, pulled out the alcohol drenched cloth, and gently cleaned the area of skin around the boy’s eye. Raditz did not make a sound, except for a small hiss of discomfort; however, Bardock could see his skin jump from the pain, and his eyes began to water. Once finished, he tossed the soiled cloth into a nearby bin and looked at his son expectantly.

Raditz crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, but Bardock still heard him whisper, “It doesn’t matter. I’m in trouble, no matter what I say.”

“Raditz,” The soft murmur of his name caused the boy to turn back, apprehension on his face. “Tell me what happened. I’m going to listen to what you have to say.”

A look of skepticism flashed across the boy’s face, but he finally nodded and stared back at him, his gaze unwavering even though Bardock saw him wince as he turned.

“It was at recess. I was playing with my friends, but I heard some crying over by the gym. So, I went over there, and Ken was messing with a kid named Haruki. He always plays by himself, and Ken likes to pick on him. I told him to stop, and then he said, ‘Make me,’ and came at me like he was gonna punch me. I didn’t want to hit him, Dad. I knew you’d be mad if I did, but he was gonna hit me first. So, I hit him. Then we fought...and then the teachers broke us up. They didn’t even listen to me when I told them what happened! They all think I’m...”

Raditz cut himself off and turned away again, using his shirt sleeve to soak up the tears that had been threatening to fall ever since he began his tale. As the boy composed himself, Bardock mulled over the story both sides had told him. Raditz did have a hair-trigger about reacting to things, but he never did anything without cause. Additionally, he had admitted to striking first, but clearly, there was a concerted effort to color his son in a more negative light, and Bardock did not have to think hard about the why of the reason that was.

It had been a miracle that they’d been able to get Raditz into this school rather than the public school in their district. Even with the scholarship program, it was still expensive, and Raditz was one of the only Saiyan children in the entire building. When they’d toured the school, the bevy of soccer moms and househusbands regarded them like stray alley cats who’d managed to sneak into their polished foyer. Bardock shook his head at the memory and stood, Raditz quickly following suit, grabbing his bookbag and hefting it onto his shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

Neither said a word as they walked to the squad car. Occasionally, he saw Raditz look at him in anticipation of some scolding or reprimand, but he remained silent. Bardock walked to the passenger side and opened the door indicating with his head for Raditz to hop in the front. The ambivalence was evident on the boy’s face, but he did as he was instructed.

Bardock started up the car, the old machine rumbling and wheezing in distress as the police radio began to blitz and squawk with assorted chatter. The dispatcher’s voice rang clear and he heard his name being asked for on the box.

“Bardock, what’s your status?”

He frowned for a moment and looked over at his son, who glanced at him from out of the corner of his eye but shifted his attention to a loose thread on his backpack. Bardock picked up the receiver and replied, “Dispatch, I’m 10-7.”

For a moment, the receiver was silent, the loss of sound causing him involuntarily tense until it sprang back to life.

“Copy that.”

Satisfied, he flicked the console off and turned on the car radio, allowing the silence to be filled with some classic rock as he put the vehicle in reverse and they left the school parking lot. When they didn't make the turn towards home, Raditz peered out the window, his brow furrowing with each unfamiliar street they passed.

"Where are we going?"

Bardock shifted his gaze and raised an eyebrow, before turning into an empty parking spot next to an old building that looked like it'd seen better days. The paint had long since faded, and a few of the letters were missing, but even so, it looked warm and inviting.

He shifted the car into park, placed his cap on his head, and walked out, heading towards the door; however, he paused when he didn't hear an additional slam and looked over his shoulder. Raditz was sitting in the car, with a look that could only be described as pure incredulity. A smile threatened to break out on his face, but Bardock forced it down and jerked his head towards the building.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raditz shifted nervously on his feet, the soles of his red sneakers squeaking slightly on the linoleum floor. He'd never been to this place before; however, from the warm welcome his father received when he walked in, it was an establishment the older man knew quite well.

What struck him most, besides the marvelous smells coming from the kitchen that caused his stomach to rumble as he belatedly remembered he had not eaten lunch, was that every single person, young and old, spoke Saiyan. The melodious tones of his native tongue instantly made him feel more at ease, despite the uncertainty that still coursed throughout his body and made him grip the straps of his backpack tighter.

Unconsciously, he moved closer to his father's side, half using the big man's bulky form as cover from the eyes that were suddenly looking at him with curiosity.

"Bardock! Go take a seat...I'll be with you in a sec!"

An older woman, with an easy smile and round face, called out to them from behind a well-worn, but spotless counter. Bardock nodded, his hat now underneath his arm, and walked to an empty booth near the door. Raditz dutifully followed and sat on the side opposite his father, putting his backpack beside him.

Raditz looked across the table at his father, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop. Even in a casual setting, Bardock was an imposing figure, and his blue uniform made him seem larger than life. This man was not only an authority in his home but also the world, and Raditz watched, warily, as he set his officer's hat next to him. This...sort of behavior was very uncharacteristic of the man he knew. His face still ached, and he winced every time his eyes caught something else to look at that was more interesting than the uncompromising gaze of his father. Without even glancing at his father, Raditz could feel his eyes on him. Bardock, however, gave nothing away; his face, an unreadable mask.

"Thanks for waiting, dears," the waitress announced, interrupting the silence. In her hands was a cup of coffee, and she set it down on the table near his father. The steam and smell from the cup wafted over to his side of the table, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "And who is this young man, Bardock? Is this Raditz?"

Raditz's eyes widened in surprise, grunting when the pain caused his skin to spasm. How did this woman know his name? To his surprise, Bardock merely chuckled and nodded.

"Oh! You poor, dear! You're going to have a hell of a shiner!" She exclaimed, her fingers gently turning Raditz's face towards her. Raditz begrudgingly let the woman inspect him, resisting the urge to pull away at the stranger's touch.

"Leitice, can we have some ice, please?" The tone of his father's voice stopped the waitress's fretting and mother-like inspection of his person. She smiled and nodded, shooting Raditz a wink before walking towards the kitchen.

He watched as Bardock took a small sip from his cup and let out a tired breath, his shoulders sagging as if someone had removed a tremendous, yet invisible load. A fellow patron called out his name, and he looked over the back of the booth, his arm resting on the edge, and his brow raised inquiringly.

"Bardock, the West City Dragons are in trouble this week."

A confident and arrogant smirk settled on his father's features as he took another sip of his coffee. "I would not be so confident considering half of your offense is stuck on the bench due to injuries, and you're down to your third string."

Back and forth, the two men lobbed mock insults at each other; however, Raditz picked at the cracked vinyl of the booth's seat, distracting himself as he pondered the purpose of this stop. He let his eyes sweep over a nearby menu, and he could feel his gut clench in want as he eyed the giant sandwiches filled with meat and the enormous desserts. He almost wished he could ask for something, but he tapped down that desire. They rarely ate out, and only then on special occasions. That knowledge only made this more strange. He already knew he was in trouble; why drag the whole affair out?

"Papa?"

Immediately, Bardock turned back around, his attention solely on Raditz.

"Why are we here?"

Just as the man opened his mouth to speak, Leitice returned with a bag full of ice and a coffee pot. With incredible dexterity, she refilled Bardock's cup and handed the bag to Raditz, which he took with a small smile, and a mumbled: "Thank you."

"Of course, dear! Don't worry, girls like men with a few scars." The woman replied, kindly, and then elbowed Bardock good-naturedly. "Can I get you boys anything?"

At her question, Raditz's stomach grumbled loud enough for them to hear, and a faint blush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks. He quickly put the bag of ice against his battered face, hiding his expression in hopes that they would move on in their conversation. Bardock looked at the menu and then back at Raditz, who tried to keep the hope out of his eyes.

"Order anything you want, Boy."

"A-anything?"

Bardock nodded, a smile in his eyes rather than on his features. Raditz quickly pointed to a giant ice cream sundae, figuring he had better take this chance regardless of its intentions. Leitice nodded, thoughtfully, and asked if he wanted anything to drink, and Raditz bit his lip as he considered his options. He glanced over to the other side of the table where Bardock held his coffee mug and listened with an almost bemused expression on his face.

"May I have a hot chocolate, please?"

"Of course, sweetheart!" she answered, and jotted down his order. She looked to Bardock, but he shook his head. A look passed between the two adults, one that Raditz did not quite understand; however, he put that inquiry away as the excitement of being able to order anything he wanted. Just as quickly, a thought entered his head. Was he still in trouble? It no longer appeared that he was, but his instinct told him that there was something else going on.

The waitress returned with a mug of hot chocolate, and Raditz eagerly took a sip, mimicking the way he'd seen his father drink his coffee. The dark, milky, sweet beverage slid down his throat, pooling in his belly, and he closed his eyes and let the warmth go through him. When he opened his eyes, there was a determined gleam, and he set his mug down in a manner that he hoped would appear confident as he gazed back at his father.

"Am I in trouble?"

For several seconds, Bardock only stared at him, but he softly set his cup down and regarded Raditz with the no-nonsense expression that he was used to seeing.

"Did you do anything wrong, Boy?"

The question caught him off guard. Raditz certainly did not think he'd done anything wrong, but he was sent to the office and suspended. By those actions, then yes, he did. He peered down at his cup and shrugged.

"I hit that -"

"Yes," his father's stern voice interrupted him, and Raditz glanced upwards to meet his gaze. "But you were defending another student, correct?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"Then I'll ask you again...did you do anything wrong, Raditz?"

Bardock cocked a brow as he asked his question, and Raditz grinned for the first time that afternoon, understanding what his father was saying. The worries of the day lay forgotten as a spirited conversation struck up between the two of them. Or, to be more accurate, Raditz spoke nonstop, and Bardock smiled and occasionally interjected with varying points of view, making the boy defend his opinions all the while reminding him to put the ice on his eye.

Before long, Leitice returned with the ice cream dessert, setting it down between the father and son. Without a word, she handed a spoon to Raditz and left one on Bardock's side of the table, though he huffed and rolled his eyes at the gesture. Raditz looked around the colossal confection and eagerly began to devour the sugary delight at the nod from his father.

"Raditz..."

He looked up, whipped cream and jimmies smeared around his face. Bardock's eyes crinkled, little lines becoming visible around the edges, and it seemed like he was going to laugh; however, the look disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. Raditz swallowed, noisily, and tilted his head in question.

"Who got the last punch?"

Raditz wiped his mouth with his sleeve and set his spoon down upon the table, his brow furrowed in contemplation before he sighed and reluctantly answered,

"I did."

He shifted his gaze back to his father. To his astonishment, a barely visible smile had inched up his father's lips, and the man nodded in acknowledgement before picking up the second spoon and taking a small scoop of the double sundae.

**Author's Note:**


End file.
